Mt. Crescent Ski Patrol

The Mt. Crescent Ski Patrol (MCSP) was established in 1964 and is part of the Rocky Mountain Division of the National Ski Patrol. The MCSP is a volunteer organization that serves Mt. Crescent. It has approximately 30 members and has room to add several more patrollers. Ski patrollers provide skiing and snowboarding public with rescue and first aid services, and promote safety and courtesy at the ski hill.

Become a Ski Patroller

It usually takes a little over 7 months to become a basic alpine patroller if a candidate starts training with Outdoor Emergency Care in August. Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) is taught in the fall (late August through Early December); and additional training in ski /snowboard skill, toboggan handling, and ski lift evacuation training is done during the winter. Candidate testing is in late February. The ski patrol candidate that successfully completes all the above training will be a Basic Alpine Patroller the following winter. Candidates may also join the patrol midseason during the winter and complete the on-the-hill training that season. The candidate that joins midseason must take OEC the next fall. They, likewise, will be patrollers at the start of the following winter.

Patrollers are then required to attend annual training activities offered throughout the year.

Patrollers must attend one of two OEC refresher courses offered each fall; maintain their CPR for the Professional rescuer certification; and demonstrate their competence in skiing / snowboarding, toboggan handling, and ski lift evacuation.

Ski patrollers must be at least 18 years of age, successfully complete the Outdoor Emergency Care class, obtain and hold CPR for the Professional Rescuer from a recognized provider (such as the American Red Cross), complete ski/snowboard and toboggan handling training and pay the required dues.

Ski Patrol FAQS

Our members provide the skiing public with rescue and first aid services; promote safety and courtesy in the sports of skiing and snowboarding. The patrol serves the ski area manager as a trained and skilled evacuation and rescue organization.

Naturally, the patrol would like to have candidates with advanced ability. However, the patrol can offer additional snow sport training, if you have strong basic or better skills, to bring most candidates up to a proper ability level. This requires a greater commitment of time and desire from the candidate to complete the required training.

You must successfully complete the Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC), which is a 60 hour course that provides the candidate with medical knowledge necessary to treat injured skiers and boarders. Patrollers must also hold a current certification in CPR for the Professional Rescuer; complete on-the-hill training; be 18 years of age; and pay required annual dues

The National Ski Patrol, Outdoor Emergency Care class follows the same standards set forth by the US Department of Transportation for EMT-B’s. This class is intended for prospective ski patrollers as well as outdoor enthusiasts. Subjects covered include an overview of human anatomy and physiology, patient assessment, soft and hard tissue injuries, environmental illness and injuries, sudden illnesses, triage, accident management and evacuation, and long term care. This class cost’s about $100 including text book and is offered by the MCSP in conjunction with the Outdoor Venture Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. It is a 60 hour long class and is taught on Thursdays (6:30 – 9:45 PM) from late August to early December. A valid OEC certification requires a CPR for the Professional Rescuer certification from a recognized agency (i.e. American Heart Association, American Red Cross, or National Safety Association.)

If you are certified as an EMT-A or B, paramedic, PA, RN or other medical professional we need your expertise. You must still qualify as an Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) Technician, regardless of your training and experience. You may challenge the OEC curriculum by successfully passing both a written exam and practical OEC scenarios. Emergency care as a patroller is significantly different from what you may be accustomed to in a modern medical facilit. The Ski Patrol provides comprehensive, pre-hospital care in a remote, delayed response environment. Candidates of all levels must become accustomed to working with specialized ski patrol equipment, under NSP protocols and guidelines, in difficult environmental conditions.

Beside the onetime cost of the OEC course ($100), patrollers are required to pay annual dues. The annual dues cover National Ski Patrol, Rocky Mountain Division and local patrol dues, and is currently is $75.00. Other costs to be a patroller vary with the patroller’s desire for quality equipment and clothing, and can be spread out over a couple of seasons. The patrol will help patrollers get the best quality at the lowest cost. Patrollers are expected to provide their own ski or snowboarding equipment and clothing. Other average expenses include a Patroller’s Jacket ($100-$235) and a fanny pack first aid kit ($29-$37).

Mt. Crescent ski patrollers are entitled to free skiing at Mt Crescent once all of their training is completed. Complimentary lift tickets at other ski areas are not guaranteed, but are available many times when requested through the proper channels. There are some ski areas which give significant discounts to ski patrollers…there are others that do not.

As members of the Rocky Mountain Division of the National Ski Patrol, Mt. Crescent ski patrollers are also eligible to receive additional training at other division ski hills. Training includes but is not limited to – avalanche, mountain travel and rescue, skiing / snowboard clinics, and toboggan handling.

Ski Patrol members are also eligible for equipment discounts through sponsors of the National Ski Patrol.

Patrollers determine what days they are available to patrol and with few exceptions, those are the days you will be scheduled. The number of required duty hours is roughly 3-5 hours per week of the ski season.

The season’s patrol schedule is made up from information provided by each individual patroller. Patroller availability is usually taken at the annual OEC refresher in October.